Carbon pile regulator armature



Nov. 25, 1958 H. H. C. RICHARDS, JR

CARBON PILE REGULATOR ARMATURE Filed Sept. 22, 1955 l I ll United States Patent CARBON PILE REGULATOR ARMATURE Harrison H. C. Richards, Jr., Lima, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application September 22, 1955, Serial No. 536,002

6 Claims. (Ci. 201--51) The invention relates generally to regulators and more particularly to improvements in carbon pile regulators.

This invention involves improvements in the regulator structure shown and described in copending application Serial No. 338,986, now Patent No. 2,720,571, filed in thenames of Lewis R. Lowry and H. H. C. Richards, Jr.

An object of the invention is to provide for limiting the stressing of the spring member of a carbon pile regulator to improve its operation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a structure in which the screw clamping stresses in the spring members is at a minimum.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated by the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the regulator showing the spring and adjusting retaining means; and

Fig. 3 is a view in section taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing and Fig. 1 in particular, the case carries a number of fins 11 of any suitable heat conducting material such as aluminum or copper. A support 12 of some suitable metallic material is carried by the case 10. The upper end of the case is provided with an internal thread 13 for receiving the threaded plug 14.

The threaded plug 14 may be actuated to move upwardly or downwardly in the thread 13. A socket 15 is provided in the lower end of the plug 14 to receive the upper end of a plunger 16. By disposing the plunger 16 in the lower end of the socket 14 it may be actuated along vertical ines for a purpose to be explained hereinafter.

A stack of discs 17 of some suitable resistance material is disposed in the case 10 and separated therefrom by a tubular member of some suitable insulating material well known in the art. The discs 17 are usually made from carbon, The height of the stack of discs 17 will depend on the design requirements.

In order to provide for varying the pressure on the stack of carbon discs to regulate the flow of electrical current, a second plunger 19 is disposed at the opposite end of the stack. This plunger seats in the cylindrical member 20 carried by a member to be described hereinafter. As illustrated, a cup-shaped cylindrical member 21 is carried by the case 10. The case 22 for the coil 23 of an electromagnet is suspended from the mem- 2,862,087 Patented Nov. 2s, 1.958

ber 21 by means of screws 24. The electromagnet comprises the members 22, 25, the core 9 and the coil 23.

The armature assembly for applying pressure to the stack of discs 17 is disposed in the chamber formed by the depending cup-shaped member 21 and the case 22 for the electromagnet. It comprises the damping member 27, the armature member 28 and the damping plate 26 which is a circular disc 26 extending across the pole piece 25 and clamped between the case 22 of the electromagnet and the cup-shaped member 21. The disc 26 will preferably be made from thin sheet steel that will readily saturate and not interfere with a magnetic circuit to be referred to hereinafter. A diaphragm 27 made from copper or from similar non-magnetic material and shaped to receive an iron member 28 is also clamped between the case 22 for the electromagnet and the depending cup-shaped member 21.

e As illustrated, the diaphragm 27 is so shaped that'it extends upwardly from the rim where it is clamped to a portion shaped for receiving the armature 28. Therefore when an electromagnetic pull is exerted on the armature 28 it may move downwardly a predetermined distance.

The ring or annular member 29 is shaped to present members for'performing predetermined functions. It is mounted on the diaphragm 27 and also clamped between the case of the electromagnet and the depending cupshaped member 21.

The ring 29 is provided with a shoulder 30 for receiving the depending cup-shaped member 21. The inside portion of the ring 29 is shaped to present two circular knife blades 31 and 32. Further, the portion having the knife blades shaped thereon is stepped upwardly as shown at 33 to provide room for the diaphragm 27 to move. The amplitude of movement of the diaphragm will be predeterminedby design. An annular plate or retaining ring 34 is disposed on the central portion of the diaphragm to cooperate in firmly attaching the armature 28 thereto. A bushing 35 is mounted in the center of the annular plate 34. This bushing 35 is designed to receive the cylindrical member 20 which supports the plunger 19.

A spring shown generally at 36 is provided with a number of arms or fingers 37 extending radially outwardly. The spring is notched as shown at 38 between the fingers 37 to give it predetermined characteristics which have been explained in detail in the copending application identified hereinbefore.

As illustrated in Fig. 3, the spring 36 is disposed with the inner rim resting on the bushing 35 and the outer ends of the fingers 37 resting on the knife edge 31. An upper retainer ring 39 provided with an internal thread is disposed on the bushing 35 which is threaded to receive it. The upper retainer ring 39 has a depending edge 40 which engages the spring arms 37.

The ring 39 is held in position on the armature 28 by the screw bolts 41. In order to limit the spacing of the upper retaining ring 39 and the lower retaining ring 34, bushings 42 are provided which may be disposed on the screw bolts 41, as shown.

The provision of these bushings 42 in combination with the screws 41 prevents relative movement of the retainer ring 39 and the armature 28. This gives stability to the structure.

Further, indesigning this operating device, the lower retaining ring34 is so designed that it will not engage receiving the screw bolts 41 are made large enough that they do not engage the bushing, as it is loaded by the adjustment of the upper retaining ring 39.

It will be evident that the spring 36 and the electromagnet 23"will'operate in opposition to one another when the electromagnet is energized and pulls the armature 23 downwardly. Further; when the armature 28 is pulled downwardly the pressure on the stack of discs 17wi1lbe reduced. When the electromagnet is deenergized'the armature will 'be raised by the action of the spring 36 and the plunger will bepressed upwardly, compressing the stack of discs 17.

Since the lower retaining ring 34 is so designed that it atv no time engages the spring 36, there is sufficient gap or space to permit the loading of the spring by means of the upper-retaining ring 39 in cooperation with the bushing 35'to meet all conditions anticipated within the range of the particular design of regulator.

The provision of adequate space between the lower retaining ring 34 and the spring to enable the loading of the spring without any binding action as the result of clamping the spring between the upper retaining ring 39 and'the lower retaining ring 34 greatly improves the operation of the regulator. Further, the provision of the bushings 42 assures loading of the spring 36 within predetermined limits.

As will be observed the depending edge 40 of the retaining 'ring 39 engages the arms 37 of the spring 36 pressing them downwardly. The loading of the spring 36 may be changed by adjusting the bushing 35 which makes threaded engagement with the retaining ring 39.

In operation, when the electromagnet 23 is energized it draws the armature 28 downwardly against the tension of the spring 36. As soon as the electromagnet is deenergized, the spring 36 will actuate the armature 28 upwardly. Thus it will be seen that the electromagnet 23 and the spring 36 operate in opposition to one another.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a pile regulator, in combination, a stack of resister members, an adjustable member disposed in a predetermined position at one end of the stack, a movable member disposed at the other end of the stack, an electromagnet and a spring disposed to act in opposition to one another for changing the pressure on the stack through the movable member, means disposed to be actuated for changing the loading on the spring, an armature so disposed that when it is actuatedit applies a biasing force to the spring, a bushing disposed between the armature and the means for changing the loading on the spring and means for preventing relative movement between the spring loading means and the armature and the bushing.

2. In a pile regulator, in combination, a stack of resistance members, an adjustable member which may be disposed in a predetermined position at one end of the stack, a movable member at the other end of the stack, an electromagnet and a spring disposed to act in opposition to one another for changing the pressure on the stack through the movable member, a ring disposed to engage the spring, an adjustable bushing disposed for movement relative to the ring for changing the loading of the spring, an armature connected to the ring, a bushingdisposed between the ringrand armature whereby the ring cannot be moved closer to the armature than a predetermined distance.

3. In a pile regulator, in" combination, a stack of resistance members, a case in which the stack of resistance members are movably mounted, an adjustable member disposed at one end of the case for limiting the movement of the stack, an electromagnet and spring disposed to act in opposition to one another mounted at the other end of the case cooperative to apply pressure to the stack of resistance members, an armature disposed to be actuated by the electromagnet, means for biasing the spring toward the armature, an adjustable member carrying said biasing means for changing the loading of the spring, and a bushing for limiting the distance between the armature and said biasing means.

4. In a pile regulator, in combination, a stack of resistance members, a case in which the stack of resistance members are movably mounted, an adjustable stop disposed at one end of the case for limiting the movement of'the pile, an electromagnet and spring disposed to act in opposition to one another mounted at the other end of the case and cooperative to apply pressure to the stack of resistance members, an armature disposed to be actuated by the electromagnet,- an adjustable member disposed for movement relative to the armature for loading-the spring, a ring in which the adjustable member may be moved, the ring engaging the spring, the spring being free to flex for a predetermined distance and bushings disposed between the ring member and armature to limit the spacing between them.

5. In a carbon pile regulator, in combination, a stack of carbon resistance plates, an adjustable member that may be disposed at one end of the stack, a movable member disposed at the other end of the stack, an electromagnet and a spring disposed to act in opposition to one another for actuating the movable member to change the pressure on the stack, means engaging the spring for applying pressure in a predetermined direction, means for changing the loading of the spring to change its response to the action of the electromagnet movably mounted in the means for applying pressure to the spring, an armature carried by the means for applying pressure to the spring, and a bushing disposed between the means for applying pressure to the spring and the armature for maintaining a predetermined spacing between them.

6. In a pile regulator, in combination, a stack of resistance members, a case in which the stack of resistance members are movably mounted, an adjustable stop disposed at one end of the case for limiting the movement of the pile, an electromagnet and spring disposed to act in opposition to one another mounted at the other end of the case, and cooperative to apply pressure tothe stack of resistance members, an armature disposed to be actuated by the electromagnet, a ring disposed for movement relative to the armature to apply a bias to the spring, an adjustable member disposed for movement relative to the armature and ring for loading the spring, and bushings disposed between the adjustable member and armature to provide for a predetermined minimum limit in spacing between them.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,268,718 Newton Jan. 6, 1942 2,627,007 Richards Jan. 27, 1953 2,720,571 Walley Oct. 11, 1955 

